Battle Fantasia is an arcade-style fighting game with RPG aspects, similar to Guilty Gear. The arcade game, training mode, and vs. mode (either offline or online, where players may compete head-to-head and follow their standings online) are all included in the console versions.
The main element, the story mode, which is set up between matches in the style of a fantasy book, is included in all editions. It depicts a world in which darkness and monsters devastated the countryside, nearly destroying them. For eons, humanity attempted but failed to defeat evil, and just as all seemed lost, four heroes stepped forth and drove the darkness back, restoring peace to the planet. The world was divided into two kingdoms due to the conflict, the Magic Kingdom and the Steam Empire, but after many years, the Deathbringer has returned and threatens to destroy the world once more.
The player controls one of twelve people, each with a unique backstory connected to the catastrophic battle and the return of the Deathbringer. Each has their skill and weapons to utilize, however, unlike traditional fighting games, the life bars are still visible, but .hit points decide them. Health is subtracted based on the attack and the power of the attacker.
The game features 2-D cel-shaded graphics in 3-D environments, while the tale is delivered through hand-drawn paintings by Emiko Iwasaki, who also created the game’s main characters.
